That would be dope actually.

Here's what we know. Those bullets aren't bullets. Those are simply the Kandorians that were trapped in the bottle city of Kandor, attacking Superman for whatever reason. We all know they woke up from their micro-stasis when Brainiac was still only playing with the minds of the people in Smallville. The Kandorians noticed him but at the time he didn't noticed them, because he had his hands full.

Now. We know who is attacking. We just don't know why or who stole the city from his fortress when Brainiac forces broke in.

Now it isn't Brainiac because he already has a major part to play at Future's End, and with Brainiac there would be no surprise.

It's not Luthor, because lets face it, he would need to know not just how to reverse the minitorization of the Kandorians by mastering Brainiac technology and also he would have to control their minds. Yes, because even if Superman aunt didn't recognized him, she would at least have recognized Kara and Krypto. And also he wears the house of El shield, so it should be something that should give the Kandorians pause to think things through. But they're attacking. So someone most be controlling them. And Luthor simply doesn't have the skills.

Lobo is an assassin, not a mastermind. And he simply would have no reasons to play games. Lobo is more of a "I'll shoot you in the face." kind of guy.

Zod and the rest of the zoners are most likely trapped in the Phantom Zone, seeing that the only thing mantaining the "door" open, the projector, imploded. Taking with it Dr Shay Veritas, for whatever reason that completely escapes me.

Hiro... He's a wild card but, has I see it, he has no real reason to go through all this trouble in the first place. If in fact we're dealing with Superman joker, even then there would've to be a reason. Even the Joker, no matter how twisted his mind is. He's got a reason why he's locked in that battle with Batman. It's a sick and psychotic motive but a motive never the less. Hiro would have none, seeing that Hiro hasn't really tried to stand out in any way. But most of the times its the person we least expect that reveals to be the worst enemy. So I'll be watching him has much has the comics allow, but I don't really think it's him.

Hector is also out of the picture. He would have the reason, but not the skills to pull it off.

Metallo... Please!

So who has the skills, knowledge and maybe the power to pull it off...? This is the million dollar question.

My money goes to Batman. Why do I say its Batman?! Lets see. He has motive and he had the opportunity. He was in the fortress, he could have simply taken the bottled city with him only for safe keeping but discovered that a whole city of kryptonians was awaken and if Superman didn't knew this then Superman had been paying very little atention to what it's really important. And has the Joker is the force that drives Batman forward, so Batman took on that role, to prepare Superman. To teach him to be always on his guard and above all else, never understimate his enemies, like Superman so often does.

Well see...

Jesus Christ, now that's one freaking plot twist right there.

Only problem is, Batman doesn't kill.

He already tried that in Issue 17, didn't succeed.

No he didn't. He scoured the globe for clues. That's not the same as literally searching every single space on earth, which he is capable of.

@2cool4fun:

Yeah... Forgot about that.

Hmm... Now you left me in the dark. I have no freaking clue has to who might be the mastermind behind it.

Wait! How about Owlman. He has the same skill has Batman, and he hated Ultraman guts, so to apply vengeance on Earth-0 Superman would be like getting to do everything he was never able to do to Ultraman, seeing that Ultraman didn't care about anyone.

Just came to me right now. And it was all because of a simple fact "Batman doesn't kill". Thanks!

Get the hell off my planet!

Review^^^

He is currently working undercover together with Luthor to stop the Anti-Monitor, I don't think Johns will give free access to that character until after to the Darkseid war.

@squalleon:

True.

But when it was said that it would be revealed the identity of this mastermind in issue #19, Greg never said that other than us, readers, would know the identity. It could be him and still remain in the shadows.

What's your guess? Do you have anyone on your mind that's not on the list?

I really don't think that it will be Owlman, he has no lasting capability. And he has no reason to attack Superman so directly, even try to kill Lex, who he currently works with, I guess you could say he could guess Superman would save him but I doubt it. Plus the enemy whoever it is must have tremendous power in his hands and seems almost omnipresent. Owlman doesn't really have the tech, money, or powerset to be capable of that.

I heard some good theories that it could be tiny kandorians releashed during Doomed, hence the "bullets" that leave no trace.

I know. I was one of those people that said it was the kandorians. You can even read in my first answer in this post.

And I get how it would hurt Owlman to risk exposing himself, but honestly from the list we were given, I don't see any of them doing it. At least not someone that could cause the shock that we've been promissed.

Brainiac already has his hands full with Future's End, and Luthor... I think his part in the JL and with now the Amazo virus would just be too much, and not a shocker at all.

Hiro to me is the only option on the list I would even consider. But still I don't see the "Why". Even the real Joker has a twisted, psychotic "why". Hiro if anything has only been trying to help everytime he can.

There are a lot of candidates... The Insect Queen, Mongul, Darkseid, Psycho Pirate, Vyndktvx. But still, of all these villains none would be a shock to me.